starcraftfandomcom-20200213-history
Higher Ground
Zerg Swarm |commanders1= Executor Artanis Judicator Aldaris |commanders2= |forces1=Fleet of the Executor |forces2=Tiamat Brood Baelrog Brood |client= |reqmissnum= |altmission= |goal= *Destroy the zerg colonies |heroes= |newchar= |newunit=Scout |newtech=Stargate, Citadel of Adun }} Higher Ground is the third protoss mission of Episode III of StarCraft. History Background Following advice from the rogue executor Tassadar, Artanis and Praetor Fenix led a strike team to attack and kill a cerebrate, hoping the creature's death would send its brood into an erratic frenzy. Artanis returned to his citadel while Fenix remained in Antioch with a small task force to monitor the zerg. Fenix eventually reported to Artanis and Judicator Aldaris that the cerebrate had reincarnated despite their attack, and was now mobilizing its brood for another strike against Antioch.Fenix: "Executor, I bring news most dire. The Cerebrate that we thought we had killed has arisen again. The creature's battered form was reincarnated, despite the considerable damage we inflicted upon it. Even now, the Cerebrate drives its Brood in preparation for their next offensive." StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Level/area: Higher Ground (in English). 1998. Aldaris considered this failure proof Tassadar could not be trusted, and espoused that attacking defenseless cerebrates was a dishonorable way of fighting. The Conclave decreed that the executor was to go on the offensive against the zerg now that Antioch was secure under Fenix's watch. Artanis and Aldaris were sent to the province of Scion, which had already fallen to the zerg, to destroy them and take back the province. Though Artanis' efforts were successful and the zerg infesting Scion were destroyed, Antioch shortly came under attack by overwhelming zerg forces. With the bulk of the protoss army preoccupied, reinforcements were unable to arrive to aid them, and Antioch fell to the zerg.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Higher Ground (in English). 1998. In the battle, Fenix was defeated and widely reported dead. However, his badly wounded body was retrieved and he was revived in a dragoon exoskeleton.Tassadar: "Fenix? It can't be! The Executor told me of how you fell before the Zerg. How is it that you live and breathe?" Fenix: "Ha hah... Well, after my unfortunate defeat, my ruined body was recovered by our brethren. I now reside within the cold, robotic shell of a Dragoon." Tassadar: "Old friend-would that this never came to pass..." Fenix: "Nonsense! There is no shame in defeat so long as the spirit is unconquered, and I am still able to serve Aiur to a degree." StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Level/area: Homeland (in English). 1998. Walkthrough The player's starting base is very spread out and vulnerable to attack from many angles. The main entrance to the player's base is a cliff to the north-west, but the zerg may also ferry forces onto the cliffs. The player's strategy for the two bases should adapt to their opposition. The zerg attack with forces of zerglings, hydralisks, and mutalisks, but defensively their unit composition varies. The Baelrog Brood base far to the north is primarily an anti-air base, with numerous scourges and spore colonies, while the Tiamat Base to the west is a ground-focused base with many sunken colonies. The player should use air units to attack the Tiamat base and ground units to attack the Baelrog base. The air unit for the mission, the scout, is quite expensive to produce, so it is easier to attack the Baelrog base first. The player should train a dozen each of zealots and dragoons and upgrade them fully, then send them to attack, reinforcing their troops as needed. With the Baelrog base destroyed the player should now expand. In addition to the liberated Baelrog resources, there are resource nodes in the south-west and the far north of the map. The player should take one of these and begin training scouts, a dozen at least, more if the player is able. With these scouts the player can move into the Tiamat base and destroy it. The player can also use their forces remaining from the Baelrog base, though they will experience heavy losses. When both zerg bases are destroyed, the mission is won. Notes *Examining the extracted map in a map editor reveals a humorous map description: "Since the Cerebrate reincarnated, Aldaris suggests a more traditional approach: Kill them all!" References Category:StarCraft Episode III missions Category:StarCraft Protoss missions